I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
Scout's Honor
|
You may not know it to meet me today but I was a terribly shy child up until my mid-teens. It's honestly a wonder to me that I had any friends at all before I started coming out of my shell. But I did. When I was about 7 or 8, one of my best friends decided to join our local Brownie troop and convinced me I should, too. So, I did, mostly because, while I did have a couple of friends, I didn't have many and my desire to keep the ones I had was very palpable. If you don't know what Brownie's are, they're junior Girl Scouts, similar to Cub Scouts. I lasted one year and then stuffed that ill-fitting dull brown uniform in the way back of my childhood bedroom closet and never looked at it again. The only things I truly loved about my Brownie experience were the sing-alongs. I still love a good sing-along, to be honest. There's just something about voices raised up together. This is something I've always known about myself ever since I was about 4 years old: I'm not a joiner of social clubs. They're not for me. Give me a committee, a board, an action group, I'm all in. But a group designed solely for socializing? That's a hard pass. That said, I do understand their value, especially for those who find it difficult to meet the need and want of belonging on their own. Belonging is such a powerful human motivator that I recommend every entrepreneur define for themselves how they are nurturing it for their customers through their mission, messaging, and experiences. Even though my own Scout experience wasn't great, as an adult, I have ordered and eaten my fair share of Girl Scout cookies. Let's face it, it's a right of passage in any office when colleagues you never see otherwise appear with the order forms and those telltale boxes litter desktops and communal kitchen counters a few weeks later. I don't have children and have never had to beseech colleagues and friends to support a kid's extracurricular activities via the purchase of cookies or candy or anything else. Until today. Today, I'm asking you to support Girl Scout Troop 6000 by purchasing cookies from them or making a direct donation, if you can afford it. This troop is really special because it is comprised entirely of girls housed in the New York City shelter system. If ever there were kids more in need of belonging and believing in themselves, I'd be surprised. So, this week of St. Valentine please show these girls some love and that they don't just belong with each other but with a worldwide community of people who are rooting for their success and wellbeing. Of course, if you need some help deepening the sense of belonging you're creating with your business, hit me up. I'd love to support you. Until next time, Your success is our strategy!No longer want to receive my newsletter but don't want to miss my special offers and announcements? Click here. |
Easily Said & Done
I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
Hi Reader, This fall my mom was diagnosed with mild-to-moderate dementia. While sad, it did not come as a surprise. It's one reason I sold her house and we moved in together late last summer. At first, I planned outings to the Y and other senior programs, scheduled visits from family and friends, coordinated physical therapy appointments, and designed little daily activities to keep her engaged and stimulated. This winter it's gotten harder and harder to get mom out of bed let alone dressed...
Honestly, I was going to writing about something else for my first missive of the new year, but I don’t want to add my voice to those trying to normalize what is not normal. I don’t know about you, but it’s very hard to shut out what’s going on and focus on my to-do list these days. Especially, when every item seems trite and pointless against the much larger issues hitting the news feeds multiple times a day. It’s more than a lot. It’s way too much. So today my message is simple: Take care...
Right now, there's a consumer 'blackout' movement afoot to, basically, stop buying stuff for the entirety of the Black Friday weekend from corporations. This isn't just happening in the USA, but also in Canada, as a way to protest the current economic climate and policies that are making the wealthy wealthier and squeezing every penny out of the rest of us. Don't forget, there's still active consumer protests against Target, Home Depot, and Amazon, among others, as well. In other words, it...